w a l l s
by Sheepishly101
Summary: Based off of Keith's vlog. I would recommend you watch the video before reading this. Keith has walls, but that doesn't mean that they don't crumble. Lance has always seen Keith as being emotionless, reckless and a general arrogant... quiznack. That doesn't mean it doesn't hurt when Lance sees his friend crystal clear. T for Contains Coarse Language


**_Ayyyy This isn't the most well-written story ever, and it's kind of disorganized since I wrote it like right after I saw Keith's vlog. This mainly focuses on Lance and his reaction, and while the Klance isn't explicit, it can be seen as platonic or romantic. Enjoy._**

* * *

 _I-I'm out of here! I said I wouldn't cry!_

Keith stomped out of the small room, turning the damn camera off. This was stupid anyway, Coran wanted them to record and document Voltron's adventures? Well, it was stupid. This was stupid. Wait, he already thought that.

Attempting to swallow the burning feeling in his throat, and rub away the blurry, welling sensation in his eyes, he left the tiny room in which he was filming. Trudging through the halls to get to his room was more difficult than he thought it would be literally ten minutes prior. Anger bubbled up inside him, he clenched his fists and then flexed them in an attempt to relieve the intensity of his… feelings? He liked to think he didn't care, but he did. He _fucking did_.

Whenever Keith thought of his dad, there was an image of a guy. But at least it was somebody, he was certain that there was a guy in the desert. But thinking of his mother made him want to gauge his insides out. How could a mother leave her son? She was _never_ there. She was so absent it wasn't a joke to think she was an _alien_. But Keith couldn't even be sure of that, he never knew her and she left and never even bothered with Keith. Just like Lance forgot, just like Allura resented, just like Shiro disappeared.

A violent, red heat of outrage blinded his already cloudy vision, and adrenaline pumped his veins, in mid flex of his hand, an uncontrollable force took lead and sent his hand into the Castle wall, hitting the cold, pristine walls.

" _SHIT!"_

Pulsing waves of pain travelled up from Keith's knuckles all the way to his elbow. The throbbing ache distracted him from a Castle wanderer.

"Hey man, you alright?" The Blue Paladin asked, with his voice laced with humour. "That wall must have done something to piss you off, huh?" He continued as he saw Keith's glare. "Though, to be honest, it doesn't take much to get you all riled up!"

"Go away," Keith said gruffly.

Lance put his hands up in a mock surrender, "Woah there dude, hit the walls, not Paladins. Also, Allura is gonna be pretty miffed if you broke your hand, so you'd better get that fixed up before she makes us train later today."

" _Leave me alone."_

"Okay, okay I get it, Mr. Tough Guy. ' _oh, I fought 1000 Marmora whatsits'_ ' _I fought Zarkon on a spaceship one-on-one while-"_ Lance paused, noticing Keith's flushed complexion and narrowed eyes. Lance's own blue eyes widened. "Shit, how hard did you hit your hand? Are those tears? Did punching the wall make you really happy or did it just really hurt?"

Keith pushed Lance against the wall with rage, his good arm bent against Lance's blue and white Paladin breastplate. "Listen here Lance, I told you to go away and I'm going to say it again: _fuck off._ "

The Blue Paladin's face screwed up, and he pushed Keith away with equal anger. "You know what man, you're the one that can quiznack the fuck off. What is wrong with you?" He started walking away backward, his arms out. He turned around, and retorted sharply enough for Keith to hear, "Some Black Paladin you are."

Keith stared at the path Lance walked, knowing it was the same direction he needed to go to his room, but was inexplicably rooted to the spot he stood.

* * *

Dinner thankfully arrived, as the Paladins often found that saving the Universe meant that mealtimes were a bit wacky. Lance was also content to know that food goo was no longer a menu option, and that Hunk's understanding of space culinary arts had vastly improved. (They also weren't handcuffed.)

"How many ears does Captain Kirk have?" Pidge asked loudly.

"How many? Wait, lemme guess. 2. No, wait, 1. Wait, wait wait, 2. It's two." Hunk said quickly while gulping his food down after each phrase.

"Three. A left ear, a right ear, and a final frontier!"

Hunk's face held a blank expression, before he laughed exuberantly, "Oh, I get it now! That's funny Wow!" They laughed together, Pidge more so to Hunk's reaction.

Allura strode in with Coran by her side, visibly amused by the scene before her, although Lance was sure she had no idea what was so funny. She sat at the head of the table, and thanked Hunk for the delicious meal and apologized for her tardiness.

"Assembling a coalition is much more difficult than expected," She said after neatly swallowing a bite of food. "I've been contacting so many people from so many planets! I've set up a few expositions for Voltron to really get the Universe excited. It's going to be hard work, but we can do it," she finished firmly.

Lance clapped in a circle, effectively giving her a round of applause. She nodded in acknowledgment.

"However," she continued, "If the Universe is to see _as_ a united force, we must _be_ one. Where is Keith?"

Lance's mood immediately turned sour. "The jerk is probably sulking off and breaking his _other_ hand." He held his head high in annoyance and took a sip of Space Water. (H2O from space, yay!)

The whole room went dead silent; Allura was visibly disturbed. "Excuse me? Keith broke his hand? When?"

"Let me correct my previous statement; Keith was being a quiznacking ass-"

"Lance," Shiro warned.

"-Keith was being all angsty and super aggressive. He _pushed me into a wall today_!"

"Are you sure it didn't mean anything else?" Pidge asked in a manner Lance hoped was sarcastically. Hunk high-fived her.

"No!" Lance snapped defensively. "He just shoved me into a quiznacking wall!"

"Now, now," Coran interjected, twisting his mustache in between his fingers, "We are eating, no need for crude language."

"You taught it to me! That was literally the first thing you did!"

Allura stood up quickly, "Lance, be quiet! What exactly did Keith do?" Her arms were crossed, signifying she was _definitely_ in a foul mood.

Lace too was annoyed. He thought that Team Voltron was doing okay now that Keith was the Black Paladin… But his aggressive ass was causing new problems. "Listen, _Señor Team Leader_ was brooding and he just randomly punches a wall, like who thinks they can take on a spaceship wall? And I was just minding my own business, walking the Castle's halls trying to find the _gorgeous_ Princess Allura, and I come over to him trying to see what's up!"

The Princess's nose flared. "And?"

" _And_ I made a classic Lance joke, and he assaulted me, and pushed me against the wall for _no reason!_ " Lance was going to add that Keith had seemingly been crying, but that didn't seem appropriate. In fact, thinking about it made his meal not bode well with his stomach. _What_ was up with Keith?

"It seems I will have to talk to Keith," Allura said darkly.

Shiro raised his hand and stood up. "I volunteer to talk to him, he needs somebody he connects with."

"Thank you Shiro, but assaulting another Paladin is a serious offense, you may speak to him, but so will I," Allura replied, she was seemingly calming down.

Coran was again, combing his fingers through his hair thoughtfully. "Keith did tell me he was going to film his video log today, perhaps that will give us some clues into his behaviour."

"That's an invasion of privacy!" Pidge yelled. "You can't watch that! You _know_ Keith!"

"Pidge, I appreciate your concern, but this is a serious matter," Allura stated while rubbing her temples. To Lance, Allura's pretty silver hair had always made her look young, but now it made her look years older. Allura turned to Coran, "Fetch his log, I will watch it _alone_."

"Hey!" Lance cried. "I deserve to know why I was attacked!"

"Why don't we talk to him first?"

"Don't watch the vlog!"

"I could make Lance cookies and Keith brownies…"

"Get the log, Coran."

"ALRIGHT BE QUIET!" Shiro commanded. Lance had almost forgotten how leader-y he was. Better than Keith… "The video logs were made to report on Voltron. They were made for _us_. I'm not all about invading his privacy, however, we need to find out why Keith acted like this."

"Thank you, Shiro," Allura said, much calmer than earlier. She turned to Coran, "Could you please get the video log?"

"No problem, Princess," and Coran zoomed off humming.

There was a heavy, awkward silence. Lance cleared his throat. "So uh… Are we kicking Keith off as the head? Am I the head?"

"Lance," Shiro said in a dangerous tone that made Hunk slink away. "Keith will remain as the head of Voltron. This is just a skirmish that has been blown out of proportion. We all know Keith he's hothead."

Lance was insulted. "Hey, maybe this is just a skirmish blown out of proportion, but I don't wanna worry about being attacked while I'm minding my own business! Plus, Keith was cr-" He faltered.

"Keith was what?" Shiro asked, confused. "Enunciate, Lance."

"I've got it!" rang Coran's voice, he carried a flat, blue disk, and waved it high in the air. "I can display it here, if you like," he pointed at a plastic box that seemed useless in a dining room to Lance up until now. Coran inserted the disk into the box. A hologram screen appeared in the middle of the table, and it flicked into life.

" _I'm Keith, the pilot of the Black Lion. Or should I say, paladin of the Black Lion."_

* * *

It was awkward to watch Keith talk. First of all, he was really bad at it, Second, he was really confusing. But it dawned on Lance between the twiddling of the knife, and the looks off camera, perhaps something else was going on…

Lance wasn't going to deny his own insecurities, which caused restless sleep and numb days but watching Keith recount his own social awkwardness was eye-opening.

" _I don't know why I'm that way."_

Lance cocked his head.

" _Maybe I'm naturally untrusting because my mom left me so instead of accepting people in my life I push them away-"_

Oh. His mom left him. Lance wondered how a life without _his_ mom would be like. Lance also found that he didn't like it when Keith pushed him away.

" _-before they reject me?"_

Oh. _Oh_.

" _I guess I have some walls up." He rubbed his fingers together._

Keith was-

" _I'm out of here!" He hit the chair with anger._

Lance felt guilt creep up his throat.

" _Get me out of here! I'm out of here!"_

Lance clenched his fist as he watched Keith rub his eyes.

" _I said I wouldn't cry!"_

* * *

The room was absolutely silent, Allura looked stunned, while Shiro seemed to have aged. Pidge looked angry, but also sad, Hunk was crying. Coran had lost his usual up-to-it beat. Lance looked down at his shoes.

"I guess that's why-" his voice broke.

"You were right, Pidge" Allura admitted. "I-I shouldn't have demanded we watch it." Pidge nodded, still silent.

"I'm going to talk to Keith," Shiro announced.

Lance shook his head. "Nah Shiro, I think I will." He looked at a set plate with a now cold meal on it. He picked it up and grimaced. "Us Paladins got to munch and crunch, right?"

He exited the quiet room and walked down the brightly lit Castle halls, repeating Keith's final line in his mind over and over. Lance was annoyed with the whole _you-pushed-me-into-a-wall-thing_ but he figured he could look past it.

He reached Keith's door, knocked and received a void of a reply. He knocked again, this time adding forceful laugh, "Hey man," he chuckled.

The door opened.


End file.
